It can come in handy having a parent or relative who knows what it’s like to ride at Badminton, and several competitors here are enjoying that benefit. Emily King’s mother Mary has completed 22 times and won twice. ‘She is a bit like a mirror,’ says Emily. ‘She is a really nice person to have around and bounce ideas off. She won’t go in all guns blazing trying to change things, but we chat a lot and she’s forthcoming when I ask for advice. ‘I’m a very stubborn person – she probably sees things and thinks “that’s wrong”, but she keeps quiet, which is probably why we are still such good friends.’ In turn, Mary comments: ‘I don’t get that nervous for Emily, I just wish and hope that it all goes well. There will be a few butterflies on cross-country day, but I’d be much more nervous if I was riding. I feel a bad mother saying that, but I’m really proud of her, the way she rides and how dedicated she is.’ Irish first-timer Lucy Latta has the advantage of help from her experienced cousin, Elizabeth Power, who is on hand to help, while her grandfather, William Powell-Harris, who competed at Badminton in 1971 on Smokey Vl, is watching on television at home. ‘He’s 93 and probably the most excited of all of us,’ said Lucy. William Fox-Pitt, Harry Meade, US first-timer Grace Taylor, Alice Casburn, Felicity Collins, Sam Watson, Wills Oakden, and Zara Tindall all have parents who have competed at Badminton and Harry Mutch’s great-uncle, Eric Thompson, was a regular competitor in the 1960s.

Ros Canter and her rising star Izilot DHI will be the overnight leaders heading into tomorrow’s cross-country day at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire after an impressive dressage test. The 2023 winner, world number two and reigning European champion has enjoyed a brilliant run of form and, for the second year running, heads the leaderboard at the end of the dressage phase on a new Badminton ride, her own and Alex Moody’s 11-year-old bay gelding. Watch Ros’ leading dressage test HERE. The pair are already winners at this highest, five-star level, following a victory at Pau, France, last autumn, plus they captured the four-star at Blenheim last September. Ros has played down her status as favourite for a second consecutive win, saying: ‘Izilot is an exceptionally brave horse so I feel very confident sitting on him, but it’s his first time at a big event like this and he won’t have seen this length of course before [an optimum time of 11 minutes 19 seconds]. At Pau, we were held on the cross-country course, which gave him recovery time. ‘I will go out with the intention of going fast and clear, but at the same time listen to what he’s telling me because I know I have a great horse for the future.’ Thursday’s leader, Bubby Upton, who has made a heroic return from breaking her back seven months ago, is now in second place, just 2 penalties in arrears, on Cola. ‘I never thought I’d be sitting here after dressage,’ said Bubby. ‘Cola just thrives on the atmosphere and am so thrilled to be up here with these guys.’ British-based New Zealand Olympian Tim Price, who has yet to add a Badminton win to his stellar CV, is in third place on Vitali. He said: ‘Being here on the podium is a good place to be at this stage and it’s going to be fun trying to work my way up the leaderboard.’ The closeness of the dressage scores means that there is all to play for tomorrow in what should be a thrilling and fascinating contest. Veteran British names such as former winners William Fox-Pitt (lying eighth) and Pippa Funnell (12th) alongside first timer Max Warburton (12th) are all in contention. Cross-country time is going to prove crucial: the cost of 10 time penalties covers the top 30 riders. Sixty-seven horses will start the cross-country phase tomorrow, which starts at 11.30am.

Lucy Latta, IRL, started the day off for Friday first timers, riding RCA Patron Saint who she has produced from BE100 level. Lucy is based in Co Wexford and is a Brand Manager for the canned drinks company White Claw. She is a former Irish Pony and Junior team medallist and in 2015 was Junior National Champion. RCA Patron Saint is currently Lucy’s only horse, and the pair scored 36.8. ‘I’m happy with how he behaved, this is the biggest atmosphere he’s ever had to deal with. He will have come on from this. Tomorrow I just need to be mindful of what I’m sat on.’ Emma Thomas and Icarus had a test to forget, languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard on 51.2. The pair completed Burghley last year in 18th place, but she has described him as a former wild child. ‘In the end I just decided to steer – he was on a knife edge. He was definitely more taken with the cross-country fences in the arena than with the boards.’ Grace Taylor, USA, was disappointed with her test. Game Changer scored 35.4. ‘It is what it is. The cross-country is big, and that’s what we come for.’ Alexandra Knowles (pictured), USA, was much cheerier after posting a 35.6 on Morswood, a horse originally produced by previous Badminton winner Piggy March. ‘I’m relatively pleased with that. He could do better but there’s a lot of atmosphere in there, it’s a massive deal to be here. It was my childhood dream; this was the event I wanted to get to. I’m trying not to be disappointed with any part of the experience. Tomorrow’s track should suit him, he’s a cross-country machine.’ Bally Louis, the ride of Holly Richardson, is a couple of penalties behind Alexandra on 37.7. ‘He was really good; probably a bit more lit up that he was at Burghley. I hope tomorrow’s track will suit him.’ Ireland’s Daragh Byrne rode Kilcannon Ramiro to a score of 34.8, saying after his test: ‘He coped really well in that atmosphere, and did his job. He’s relatively inexperienced at five-star, and hasn’t done a five-star test on grass before so I’m happy.’ Last of the first timers, and the only one to have to deal with the Friday afternoon atmosphere, was Helen Bates and the often spooky Carpe Diem who are on a score of 38.5. ‘I’m really happy with him. He finds this phase difficult, and the atmosphere in there is so intense. It’s quite different to when you are in there doing arena familiarisation. The fact that he held it together and didn’t lose his mind is pretty special. He really doesn’t like a screen in the arena, and there was a camera at a corner – he’s always looking for something to spook at.’

Badminton legend LUCINDA GREEN has won a record six times on six different horses. She has been looking back at how the event has changed — and yet not changed — since her first victory in 1973 ‘I can’t believe I have been around for so long. Back in the day there was very much the ‘Badminton factor’ on the cross country; there would invariably be two or three fences that riders had no idea how to ride or how they would jump. Bar one, before my day, they always worked. Frank Weldon [director and course-designer] scared the pants off the riders, but he didn’t scare the horses, he understood them so well. ‘For me, the fence closest to a Frank question this year is the Eyelashes (Le Mieux Eyelash Brushes, 15abc). I have no idea how it’s going to ride and I’m really intrigued. I’ve heard all sorts of talk among the riders as to how to approach it and it’s exciting, Eric Winter [course-designer] has found a fence where we don’t know what’s going to happen.’ ‘All my winning horses were fantastically different. These days, they wouldn’t be considered to have a lot of ability but they were all triers and, without doubt, trusted me. For me, that’s a really important commodity. ‘Be Fair (1973) was backwards in coming forwards; he’d “suck back” as if to say “are you sure, mum?”. You had to be strong in those last few strides. ‘Wideawake (1975) was exactly the reverse. He tended to run into, and hit, fences, but when he got to Badminton he gave me the ride of a lifetime. He backed himself off and jumped beautifully. Unusually, I had a premonition that he was going to win – and then he dropped dead on the lap of honour. ‘George (1977) was different again. He smashed across the ditch on the steeplechase, taking the guard rail with him, and I thought he would never get around the cross country. I said to Elaine Straker [owner] that he’d never manage the bounce into the Lake – the first bounce into water we’d ever seen. She grabbed my knee and said: “George has hunted, he’ll look after you”, and he jolly well did. ‘Killaire (1979) was different again. He had tiny little strides and struggled to make the time, but his middle name was “Try”. ‘Regal Realm (1983), an Australian stock horse, was a much faster model. He was in a class of his own, a very good horse. He had so much scope. Gosh he was clever. ‘Finally, there was Beagle Bay (1984) who was really ordinary, a pony on longer legs and had a bit of a stop in him – he was the least expected of the six.’ Memorable winners of the 21st century ‘Jonelle Price and Classic Moet, who came from 18th place after dressage to win on cross-country speed in 2018 – what a fabulous little mare – and Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh working their way up the order in that very wet year (2014). And I will never forget Mark Todd coming out of retirement and winning on Land Vision in 2011 – he was such a genius. I remember catching his eye and the look said “how can this be possible?’ Who to watch this year? ‘I am looking forward to watching everyone, but especially Ros Canter, Bubby Upton and William Fox-Pitt. It will be an exciting day.’

Badminton winners from the past 56 years were reunited on cross-country morning for a special breakfast and photocall to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the event. The longest-standing winners present were Jane Holderness-Roddam (nee Bullen), who managed to get time off from her nursing job, to win in 1968 on the little family horse Our Nobby (his cross-country bit can be seen in the Badminton Museum) and Richard Walker (1969, Pasha), who holds the record as the youngest ever winner, aged 18. Also present were six-time winner Lucinda Green, four-time winners Capt Mark Phillips and Sir Mark Todd, plus triple winners Ian Stark, who was the victor on the occasion of Badminton’s 50th anniversary in 1999, Ginny Elliot and Pippa Funnell. Rodney Powell was the last winner of the Whitbread Trophy in 1991 and Mary King the first winner of the Mitsubishi Trophy in 1992 as well as the first victor of the new millennium in 2000 – both trophies, alongside the MARS Trophy, are on display in the Badminton Museum. Five of group are competing today: Pippa Funnell (2002, 2003, 2005), William Fox-Pitt (2004, 2015), Jonelle Price (2018), Laura Collett (2022) and Ros Canter (2023).

Tom Jackson, pictured (Farndon, 47.4): ‘All credit to the horse. If you’d told me a couple of years ago I’d be here, i would never have believed it. he’s not the quickest horse in the world [36 seconds over time] – hopefully I will be nearer the time with my second horse [Capels Hollow Drift].’ Tom Rowland (Dreamliner, 49.3): ‘I wanted to be quick and Dreamliner is a very fast horse with an amazing gallop. The ground is sticky, but he has finished well. I wanted to do well enough to have an interview with Clare Balding [on the BBC] so that is one ambition fulfilled. Dreamliner found the Vicarage Vee area twisty – with my second horse, I may make a new plan.’ Boyd Martin (Tsetserleg, USA, 113.8): ‘I was going great guns at first and perhaps was hunting around too much. I saw a terrible turn off the skinny – for anyone watching, it was an error of judgement. He’s a good old horse and he would have made it – it was rider error.’ Felix Vogg (Cartania, SUI, 43.4): ‘I was sitting on a really great mare. She went well last year and I thought she would handle it even though it’s a totally different course this year. Being the next Swiss rider to win Badminton is my goal – to win is a huge thing and a big milestone. I don’t think we are near that yet, but I don’t have a problem with winning it. I take from everyone a little bit of something – I have trained with Boyd Martin and Michael Jung and I walked the course here with the Prices – it is a huge group of people that has helped me.’ Zara Tindall (Class Affair, 55.6): ‘He’s such a good jumper, but he’s tricky and he comes off the bridle – I’m like “not now!” He’s a little horse. I am blowing a lot but when you get it done it feels such an achievement. If you fought for it, it was there. My horse hates people so galloping around in front of those crowds is another aspect, but it’s because he’s quirky that he is good.’ Bubby Upton (Cola, 53.9): ‘First of all ,I am so proud of my horse. He never failed to give me his absolute all. He is an absolute machine and he has proved it time and time again. I am gutted about the pin [11 penalties] – he just got in too close. It’s one of those things. The support and the love I have felt over the last eight months [since my accident] has been unbelievably touching. The comments on my instagram are enough to make me well up. It’s pretty special.’ Georgie Goss (Feloupe, IRL, 62.6): ‘She was an absolute star and pulled it out of the bag for me. It’s my first Badminton for five years and I’ve got a baby so it’s amazing to be here and to have an amazing clear round. I’d say that everyone is hoping for an Olympic spot but she has certainly done herself proud. She is a super jumper and a very very nice horse.’ Sarah Ennis (Grantstown Jackson, IRL, 39.6): ‘I went out with a lot of pressure – one of the fastest horses here at Badminton, blah, blah. But he was incredible. He couldn’t have gone any faster. He burst himself for me. He’s one of those amazing  Irish horses that gets better and better as he goes on. We nearly gave up with him as an 11-year-old and he’s now 13 so it shows that he really wants to do it. He loves this part and can’t gallop fast enough.’

There have been mixed fortunes around the course at this year’s MARS Badminton Horse Trials. The pathfinder, Tom Jackson on the first of his two rides Farndon, jumped a beautiful round, injecting confidence in the riders watching on the screens in the Rider Tent. Tom was 36 seconds over time picking up 14.4 time penalties but will undoubtedly move up from his overnight 17th place. ‘All credit to the horse. If you’d told me a couple of years ago I’d be here, I would never have believed it. He’s not the quickest horse in the world – hopefully I will be nearer the time with my second horse [Capels Hollow Drift].’ Caroline Powell did not share Tom’s good fortune. CBI Aldo, the youngest horse in the field at only nine, did look somewhat out of her depth, picking up an early run out at the second element of the Voltaire Design Huntsmans Close (fence 7). The pair had another runout at the INEOS Grenadier Sunken Road (fence 20) and retired. Tom Rowland restored confidence with a clear round on Dreamliner, saying: ‘I wanted to be quick and Dreamliner is a very fast horse with an amazing gallop. The ground is sticky, but he has finished well. I wanted to do well enough to have an interview with Clare Balding [on the BBC] so that is one ambition fulfilled. Dreamliner found the Vicarage Vee area twisty – with my second horse, I may make a new plan.’ Also clear was the next combination, Wills Oakden and Arklow Puissance but one of the favourites, Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF, had a couple of run outs towards the end of the course. Boyd explained: ‘I was going great guns at first and perhaps was hunting around too much. I saw a terrible turn off the skinny – for anyone watching, it was an error of judgement. He’s a good old horse and he would have made it – it was rider error.’ Boyd does, however, have his first Badminton cross-country completions. Several frangible pins came down in the early part of the day. Sam Watson broke one at the lake and another at the Vicarage Vee, while second placed Bubby Upton’s Cola brought one down at The Agria Silver Birch Rails (fence 210. A slightly disappointed Bubby said: ‘First of all ,I am so proud of my horse. He never failed to give me his absolute all. He is an absolute machine and he has proved it time and time again. I am gutted about the pin [11 penalties] – he just got in too close. It’s one of those things.’ It’s safe to say, the leaderboard is getting a good shake up.

Of the 15 first timers at the start of this year’s MARS Badminton Horse Trials, seven remain in the competition. Best placed of these is Ireland’s Lucy Latta, pictured, (IRL), an amateur rider based in Co Wexford. Forty-sixth after dressage, Lucy now sits on the podium in third place after RCA Patron Saint jumped the fastest round of the day, coming home one second over the optimum time. Grace Taylor (USA), daughter of Aston-le-Walls Event Centre owner and previous Badminton competitor Nigel, has moved up into the top 20 on Game Changer from 31st after adding 19.2 time penalties. Will Rawlin and Ballycoog Breaker Boy also jumped clear with time penalties to lie in 25th place overnight, up from 37th. Cosby Green (USA) is also still in the race. Based with Tim and Jonelle Price, Cosby and Copper Beach dropped down the order a little due to significant time penalties, but crucially the pair jumped clear. They are currently in 32nd place. Hard on Cosby’s heels are Jessica Phoenix (CAN) and Wabbit who were faster than Cosby but broke a frangible pin. Regardless, they have still moved up from 62nd after dressage to 33rd. Max Warburton, the overnight best placed of the debutants, dropped down the order after a refusal and broken frangible at Huntsman’s Close (fence 7) and a run out at the Eyelash Brushes (fence 15). He and Monbeg Exclusive now sit in 40th place. Our last first timer to come through the finish flags was Helen Bates riding Carpe Diem. The pair picked up a late 20 penalties at the Lightsource BP Mound (fence 26). All eyes will now be on tomorrow’s horse inspection, which takes place in front of Badminton House at 8.30am.